Hero Thai fisherman rescues Norwegian couple from sinking mud

[Praematura]

Heroic is hardly pulling someone out of the mud. This is cheap propaganda intended for European consumption so Thailand's fishing industry can continue and avoid a red card.

[Just1Voice]

Heroic is hardly pulling someone out of the mud. This is cheap propaganda intended for European consumption so Thailand's fishing industry can continue and avoid a red card.

And who stole you Cheerios?

[Mudcrab]

No doubt there will be Thai bashers who edit the video only to re-post the first half of it.....with the tag...."Cheeky Thai thief steals expensive camera from trapped foreigners, returns for ladies backpack and then goes back to feel up ladies boobs before disappearing"

One question...was it really mud they were stuck in?

The outflow in the background was storm water or sewage???

Edited October 17, 2015 by Mudcrab

[MESmith]

I'm sure they could've laid down & crawled out. Might've got dirty though.....

[DaveinAsia]

Old skool. Faith in humanity restored for a few days. Thanks Mr Unbonchinda

[Praematura]

Heroic is hardly pulling someone out of the mud. This is cheap propaganda intended for European consumption so Thailand's fishing industry can continue and avoid a red card.

And who stole you Cheerios?

Come on dude, you really think there just happened to be a guy with a video camera just waiting to film this "random" act.

[h90]

I wouldn't go so far as calling him a "hero", but Ubonchinda deserves a standing ovation nevertheless. It's selfless people like him who still give me hope for this country.

I think he risk his own life (correct me if I am wrong), if you risk your own life to rescue someone else you are a hero.

[chrisinth]

Done more for the image of Thailand in 6 minutes than the TAT or the government have domne in decades.

Yep, plus one on that.........................

[todlad]

well done bravery thai style i bet his wife is kicking his ass now you did what for zero baht???

What a really lousy comment. I bet you feel really proud that you socked it to Thailand.

[bermannor]

Thai bashers, out of sight, hiding in mud holes.

[Enoon]

Well done Chat Ubonchinda. The "plaa teen".

[chrisinth]

Stories like this...give me hope for Thailand...maybe they could take blood samples of the fisherman and create a vaccine to distribute to all Thais...

If they could also take a blood sample from the visitors and test anyone against it before walking on a riverbed (still in 'rainy season'), there would sadly be a shortage of selfish Thai gents on the media, but it would be a good step towards utopia..................

[pmk1000]

well done bravery thai style i bet his wife is kicking his ass now you did what for zero baht???

I have been helped out on numerous occasions by Thai people, in fact i find them very courteous, on one occasion my motorbike stopped dead on a dark road behind Jomtien, these 2 chaps came along on another motor bike and got it started for me with a fuse from their motorbike. I offered them money but they just rode off! One other time on Jomtien beach road, my car broke down, i left it there for the night and walked home as it was only a few hundred meters. The next day i opened the bonnet looking like i knew what i was doing (not) This guy on the beach looked over at me, he made some hand signals to one of his buddies, who went off and returned with some booster cables, once again success and once again refused any compensation. Maybe i am 1 of the lucky ones, however in my personal experience Thai people are number 1 !

[todlad]

Heroic is hardly pulling someone out of the mud. This is cheap propaganda intended for European consumption so Thailand's fishing industry can continue and avoid a red card.

You are right: what a crap bag. He should have taken their camera kit and left those Norwegians to perish. After all, they were probably lying about being stuck. If they drown, they drown.

Man, I am in awe of your insights.

[ldiablo]

Same thing happened to me and my girlfriend in Samui 3 years ago and had someone help us out. I know from experience that it is a very scary situation. Good on the fisherman for helping out this couple.

[Card]

Another example of the kindness and graciousness of the Thai people. After witnessing so many times Thai's being mistreated and trying to be taken advantage of by greedy and selfish Westerners, it is a wonder there are so many Thai's that still have that amazing and endearing demeanor of friendship, good natureship, and respect for other people.

What you see here is the attitude of ordinary, poor, hard working and rural Thais. Contrast that with the behaviour of the elite in Thailand and often the passivity, couldn't care less attitude, of many urban Thais and you get a completely different picture.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Card

[Yann55]

well done bravery thai style i bet his wife is kicking his ass now you did what for zero baht???

Congratulations on being the first clown to try to put a negative and derisive slant on this report of two people probably having their lives saved.

What is "bravery Thai style"?

Right. we don't know what 'bravery Thai style' is supposed to mean in Gerry's comment, but we sure know what 'assholery Gerry style' sounds like.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Yann55

[SOTIRIOS]

....whatever nationality...whatever profession....love that guy.....

...I would have hugged him......

...imagine if a sicko would have come along...they were done for......

....he did save their lives.....

[Enoon]

Heroic is hardly pulling someone out of the mud. This is cheap propaganda intended for European consumption so Thailand's fishing industry can continue and avoid a red card.

And who stole you Cheerios?

Come on dude, you really think there just happened to be a guy with a video camera just waiting to film this "random" act.

Yup, just like there happened to be a bloke with a bloody great camera on a tripod getting stuck in the mud.

Thailand is full of tourists with overpriced HQ camera gear (electro-optical jewelry) trying to get the perfect shot, or hadn't you noticed?

I'm not familiar with the area but isn't it possible that the person who filmed the incident was, like the "mudman" with his huge telephoto, with his very own huge telephoto, seeking to capture a moving image incorporating this view (there are about a zillion similar ones on the net) which according to Wiki, is the Krabi River?

No doubt those who know the area will confirm/correct me?

Sorry if it goes against your prejudice, but there are many Thai people, who do good things, because they need to be done.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Enoon

[Shadychris]

Another example of the kindness and graciousness of the Thai people. After witnessing so many times Thai's being mistreated and trying to be taken advantage of by greedy and selfish Westerners, it is a wonder there are so many Thai's that still have that amazing and endearing demeanor of friendship, good natureship, and respect for other people.

I half expected to see some bitter and obnoxious individual using this story as a vehicle for criticising some aspect of Thailand, the "yeah this good but...." line of non thinking.

Instead I find someone being equally obnoxious and using it to attack westerners.

Strange days indeed.

Edit: having now read all the posts I see my original assumption was correct.

So we have a full set of obnoxiousness.

How nice.

Given you are a TV member of nearly 4 years, did you really expect anything else? Nothing 'strange' here - sadly it's just <deleted> on Thai Visa.....

[Briggsy]

Staged?

[wabothai]

The video taken on this whole scene raises some questions with me. Seems professional.

The operator was more interested in the shot than giving a hand,

In case it is a true story kodos to the fisherman.

[ramrod711]

In my opinion this is a feel good story. Whether he saved their lives is not the issue, the fact that he lay down in the mud to help them, and left without expecting compensation of any kind, is. A rare occurrence anywhere in the world these days, well done sir, thank you.

[speedtripler]

The video taken on this whole scene raises some questions with me. Seems professional.

The operator was more interested in the shot than giving a hand,

In case it is a true story kodos to the fisherman.

It was very nice camera work if it was shot by some random tourist or local... . Hopefully not staged but I wouldn't bet the farm on it either way....

[Just1Voice]

Despite all the crap we read on here on a daily basis, mostly from Phukett and Pataya, there actually are a lot of good Thai people out there. A couple of years back I was going from Pai to Phayao and got run off the road by some jerk in a pick up. Wasn't hurt, but no way was I getting my CBR back up on the road alone. Pick up truck full of Thai saw me struggling and stopped to help. It took 5 of them to get the bike back up on the road, and pull the weeds out. Then checked me out and kept saying "Ok? Ok?" I assured them I was fine and they finally left. Another time just east of Den Chai I got caught in a serious thunderstorm. Pulled off to the side of the road under a large tree to put on my rain gear. A few minutes later an old man with an umbrella came out. He motioned for me to pull my bike into his yard and under a canopy, then motioned for me to come into the house. Him, his wife, and about 4 kids were all excited to have a falang in their house. They brought me food and encouraged me to eat. When it appeared as if the rain wasn't going to let up, they brought blankets and a pillow for me to sleep on the "living room" floor. I woke up around 5 am, folded the blankets, put the pillow on top, then put 1,000 baht note on the pillow before quietly leaving. Just as I straddled the bike, the old man came out and gave me a wai, with a big smile.

None of those people had to help me, but they did. And they didn't do it for "compensation". They did it out of kindness. Personally, I love the average Thai person.

[Alwyn]

Another example of the kindness and graciousness of the Thai people. After witnessing so many times Thai's being mistreated and trying to be taken advantage of by greedy and selfish Westerners, it is a wonder there are so many Thai's that still have that amazing and endearing demeanor of friendship, good natureship, and respect for other people.

I half expected to see some bitter and obnoxious individual using this story as a vehicle for criticising some aspect of Thailand, the "yeah this good but...." line of non thinking.

Instead I find someone being equally obnoxious and using it to attack westerners.

Strange days indeed.

Edit: having now read all the posts I see my original assumption was correct.

So we have a full set of obnoxiousness.

How nice.

It's not often you and I see eye to eye BP but 100% with you on this one. I actually started losing the will to live reading some of the comments. My thoughts are, what a great story! Nice guy does something nice (and brave) and wants no fuss about it. Cool!

[pmk1000]

Despite all the crap we read on here on a daily basis, mostly from Phukett and Pataya, there actually are a lot of good Thai people out there. A couple of years back I was going from Pai to Phayao and got run off the road by some jerk in a pick up. Wasn't hurt, but no way was I getting my CBR back up on the road alone. Pick up truck full of Thai saw me struggling and stopped to help. It took 5 of them to get the bike back up on the road, and pull the weeds out. Then checked me out and kept saying "Ok? Ok?" I assured them I was fine and they finally left. Another time just east of Den Chai I got caught in a serious thunderstorm. Pulled off to the side of the road under a large tree to put on my rain gear. A few minutes later an old man with an umbrella came out. He motioned for me to pull my bike into his yard and under a canopy, then motioned for me to come into the house. Him, his wife, and about 4 kids were all excited to have a falang in their house. They brought me food and encouraged me to eat. When it appeared as if the rain wasn't going to let up, they brought blankets and a pillow for me to sleep on the "living room" floor. I woke up around 5 am, folded the blankets, put the pillow on top, then put 1,000 baht note on the pillow before quietly leaving. Just as I straddled the bike, the old man came out and gave me a wai, with a big smile.

None of those people had to help me, but they did. And they didn't do it for "compensation". They did it out of kindness. Personally, I love the average Thai person.

Well said and i completely agree!

[Tarteso]

WOW! Brave Thai man!!!

[slapout]

The fisherman didd what the vast majority of working class people , who understood the problem and a solution would have done . Thailand has lots of good people as does the rest of the world, give credit where its due. Good on fisherman, he gets several attaboys for helping.

On the other hand the people who walked out into deep mud need some local help to cross a busy street if this is their normal approach to the unknown.of nature they follow. (If this had been quicik sand or the depth of mude had been deeper, buth could have died.). Some people seem to get into situations that indicate they need a full time minder after the leave the security of their parents home and guidence.

[foundy]

It's so good to see such a wonderful act of selflessness on behalf of the Thai fisherman, which is in total contrast to most of what is reported these days.

I would like to know, who shot the video.